Worries About My Future Spouse
Assalamu alaikum, I shared with my parents that I have someone in mind for marriage, and he told his parents too. We’ve been family friends since childhood, and our parents were quite happy about it. But I’m Pakistani and he’s Bengali, so I’m concerned about cultural differences. Like at gatherings, his mom wears a bindi and sarees that sometimes show her stomach. I’m not sure if a bindi is haram, but the saree style isn’t something we’re comfortable with. My dad even remarked that they seem like a Hindu family. Also, I worry about his level of religious practice. I really care for him, and he says he’s trying to improve, but he’s not very practicing because his family isn’t either, especially his dad. I know it’s tough and we might have doubts at this age, but I believe we can work through it. I keep reminding myself that I’m marrying him, not his family, but in South Asian cultures, families are deeply connected. We both like each other a lot since we grew up together. We don’t want to marry until one of us has a stable job to support ourselves, but things are becoming more serious now. I’m just wondering if anyone has advice? I’m feeling really overwhelmed, and these thoughts make me question if a future wedding is worth all the mental and physical stress. I love my parents, but his family dynamic is so different, and that worries me too. His family is kind, but they’re quite different from mine.